Glamping.

Last weekend, my family and I took a short road trip to Yosemite National Park. I myself love camping, but haven't done it enough as I would like, my family just wasn't big on the whole camping thing when I was little. This is defiantly changing! I wouldn't exactly say we were roughing it out in the woods (RV, Cabins, warm showers, champagne). Glamping is kind of the best version of camping, except I don't mind doing it a little old school either, as long as my feet are clean I am good!

How cute is this cabin?

After getting there on Friday we found an awesome place called Rainbow Pools, where we jumped off cliffs, and enjoyed the waterfall. Saturday was spent all day at Yosemite National Park. That place really is beautiful! My favorite part would probably be hiking with my nephews and being surprised by this lovely pool of water. Can you see how there is barely anyone in the water? Yeah it was like 40 degrees and I lasted about 1 minute with just half my legs in.

 

 

Having a Fiance that is an avid climber I had to see El Capitan (climbing mecca of the world), these pictures really don't do it justice.

El Capitan

It was an awesome trip. We definitely have plans to go back soon!

Biking adventures.

After three weeks of almost living here, I think we have finally started to get into our routine again. Most days our routine consists of biking to our favorite coffee shop, chatting about the day ahead, and of course work. I am really liking this new routine of ours. Last weekend and some of this week, we took a few adventures on our bikes. I was determined to find some awesome thrift stores in the neighborhood. Most of the thrift stores we went to were fine, nothing that totally wowed me. (If you live in the Sacramento area I would love some details on good thrift stores/flea markets, etc.) Other than that most of our biking adventures have been cruising around the streets of midtown, trying a new restaurant here and there, finding other new and fun coffee shops, and of course racing each other which really isn't fair since Stephen's bike has the upper hand when it comes to speed.

Another cute coffee shop in the neighborhood.

The 4th of July.

The 4th of July is always one of my favorite holidays. It's that time of year when summer is in full swing, and I don't know there is just something nostalgic and fun about it. This was a different kind of 4th of July for us, we usually spend it with my family here in Sacramento and take the boat out on the river. But since my family is in Maui this week (Thanks for the invite! Rude.). We thought it would be perfect to adventure in our new little city together. I made a simple festive breakfast in the morning. Then when afternoon rolled around we had cocktails on the porch. (The lemonade I made was amazing! I will try to put the recipe on here this week). Then we attempted to ride the light rail to Raley Field, a local  minor league baseball field about 5 miles from our house. Well that was easier said than done. We ended up walking about half the way there. Oh, and when we got there at 4 we realized the festivities didn't start until 6... oops... Oh well, it gave us an excuse to walk across the bridge ,have dinner & drinks in Old Town Sacramento, and figure out this place a little more. The fireworks were beautiful, and we actually walked the whole way home talking about every restaurant we wanted to try and the things we wanted to do. It was a great 4th!

Life Lately.

Okay, so I've been a bad blogger! Sorry! I get way to busy wrapped up in other things, but on the plus side the wedding invites are all put together and sent out, and oh yeah... we're already 100% moved in and loving our life in Sacramento. A lot of people have asked us,"Why Sacramento?" Honestly Sacramento is pretty dang sweet! We live in an area called Midtown, which is located about .5 miles from downtown. It's awesome! Lots of great spots to venture to. Plus, I finally can ride my bike (oh yeah I got a cute new bike too, her name is Molly) anywhere. I think any city or town you live in is what you make of it. We love it here! I hope everyone has an awesome 4th of July! Today we are going to venture in the new hood, and try to be as festive as possible (I am usually pretty good at that).

We're Moving!

It's official. The Berry family is heading south to Sacramento. I don't really know how this all happened so fast. One day we just decided, "Hey. lets move." After I was given the green light I officially started looking for cute places to live. Stephen and I both agreed that if it was meant to be everything would kind of just fall into place, and it has! Ever since I can remember I've wanted to live in a place where I can walk to the local coffee shop, a great restaurant, or a fun spot to grab a cocktail. So moving to Midtown, right in the heart of it all was high on the priority list. After looking at a couple apartments we came across a gem! Its a flat in a really cool old house, completely remodeled, and all real hardwood oak floors (something else I have longed dreamed about). Let's just say we can't wait to start this new journey together. Better yet, we will be married in 3 months!!! Here is a few photos I snapped from last week when we were checking out our new hood. I shared a sneak peek of our new place too, and I will have more to come I'm sure once we move in.

A new favorite spot. We stopped here for cocktails on Wednesday night, and can't wait to come back. We heard the food is pretty amazing too.

A fun little coffee shop.

Dinner at Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co., an amazing place to grab a bite to eat or a yummy cocktail. I loved the design and pretty much every detail about this place.

Here is a sneak peak of our new place! My mind is going crazy with new ways to decorate.



 

Bits and pieces.

Last week was busy, but I like busy so all in all it was a great week. I wish I would've snapped a few more photos, but I didn't so here are a few bits and peices of what went on.

Lazy Kitty.

My first attempt at juicing my own green juice. Pineapple is the key!

Venturing in Midtown (Sacramento).



Best vegan cookie dough ever! Hands down. I didn't have the patience to wait until we got home to eat it, so it made a nice road trip snack.

I spent a good majority of the holiday weekend houseboating with my family on Shasta Lake. This place never gets old.

Engagement.

My fiance Stephen and I have been engaged for 3 years! I know, crazy! But as cliche as it sounds, it has gone by so fast. From the beginning we wanted to wait until I was done with school to tie the knot, so after I graduated last May we immediately set a date and started planning. I can't believe it will be official in less than 4 months. I thought it was about time I shared some of our engagement shots. We have been blessed with some great vendors for our wedding day, and our photographer Brent VanAuken Photography | BVA Photo is simply amazing! I actually contacted him right after we got engaged telling him he had to photograph our wedding, and lucky us it's happening! I can't wait for our big day, now that we are getting closer it is definitely starting to feel real! Here is just a few of our favorites.

I guess something was really funny.

Vegan & gluten free black bean brownies.

So this weekend I was in the baking mood. Saturday I wanted to make something equally healthy as delicious. I did a little research online, and after seeing this recipe it definitely intrigued me. At first I was a little skeptical about using black beans to make brownies, but I love trying new healthier ways to cook and thought it would be fun to experiment. The recipe was also a pretty simple, which meant little room for me to mess it up. Let me tell you, these brownies didn't disappoint! This is a treat anyone would enjoy, just don't tell them the ingredients until after they try the brownies first. The Minimalist Baker is definitely my new favorite food blog!

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can (~ 1¾ cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
• 2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)
• 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping ½ cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
3. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
5. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

Saturday Tradition.

Every Saturday I find myself at the Farmer's market. It has kind of become a weekend tradition. I love any Farmer's Market, but luckily I live in a small town with a really good one! There is just something fun about walking around with my basket in hand, looking through the abundance of local goodies. Seriously so much good stuff!!! Now that we have transitioned into spring and summer is right around the corner, the Farmer's market goodies are getting better and better. I am dreaming of the day when I see that tomatoes are back in season. But for right now I am perfectly happy with the juicy strawberries, the beyond gorgeous florals, and the delicious greens that are overflowing at each stand.

 

Simple peach & pineapple mahi mahi fish tacos.

So we started the weekend off by having dinner on the patio. It was a perfect pre-summer evening when the weather is not to hot, and when you live in Northen California you have to take full advantage of those nights because pretty soon it's going to get realllll hot. We decided to make peach and pineapple mahi mahi fish tacos from ingredients we had around the house. I would've added a few extra garnishes, but I wasn't in the mood to make that extra trip to the grocery store. All in all a delicious, and easy summer dinner. Too good not to share!

We paired the tacos with some refreshing lemon and mint sparkling water, but I bet some margaritas would be delicious too!

Ingredients:

{For the fish}

• 1 Lemon
• Trader Joe's packaged mahi mahi (from the frozen section)
• 1 Taco seasoning packet

{Garnishes}

• 1 Pineapple
• 1 Sweet onion
• 1 Package of cabbage
• Cherry tomatoes
• We didn't have the following on had but these additions would have been tasty: olives, avocado, & cilantro

{Other}

•  Corn tortillas (street taco size, or bigger works fine too), I substituted lettuce for the tortillas for a more paleo friendly option.
• Trader Joe's peach salsa

      Instructions:

1. Thaw fish
2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
3. Place fish in foiled lined pan, cut and squeeze lemons over the fish (leaving lemons in with the fish).
4. Rub taco seasoning on top of the fish (use enough to cover the top of the fillet but a little goes a long way) afterward make sure all the fish is wrapped in foil, the juices from the lemon will act like butter to make sure the fish is moist and doesn't dry out.
5. Cook fish for about 20-25 minutes, check and then add more time if needed.
6. While fish is cooking, cut up all the garnishes including the onion, pineapple, and tomatoes.
7. Cook or heat tortillas as preferred
8. When fish is finished, cut fish into appropriate proportions for the taco
9. Fix taco to your liking. The pineapple and peach salsa are crucial because they add that sweetness that really makes the dish.
10.  Enjoy!

A little home inspiration to kick off the weekend.

One obsession I have is Pinterest, I can get caught up spending way to much time looking at awesome new recipes, fun trends, and the overflow of amazing interiors. After learning a few things on photoshop over the last few weeks, I thought it would be fun to make my own inspiration boards. It is helpful to see all the items come together and I will defiantly be using this tool for future home projects and outfit planning. Lately, I have been inspired by everything from  60's retro glam,  Hollywood regency, black and white canopy stripes, elements from the Beverly Hills hotel, and of course gold. How amazing would all of this look in a small space living room?!

Tufted pearl chesterfield sofa

Palm leaf pillow

Green campaign style chest

Lucite & brass lamp

EVOR throw | IKEA

Jonathan Adler gold gourd vase

Diptyque Figuier candle
Henri Bendel | Cocktail tray
Golden bar cart
Gold rimmed champagne coupes
 

 



At home | Styling a little corner.

Today, I am sharing a little corner of our apartment. I love decorating our home, it really is our favorite place. I also love small spaces, because it challenges your creativity and always adds an element of coziness. This little corner is ever changing, I think with design and decor the job is never truly finished. With decorating you can always get inspired to re-arrange or completely restyle the look you want to achieve. I know I have been guilty of this over the years, but was mostly working on achieving a style that fit our personalities (Okay, its a little girlie but in defense Stephen does have his own man cave/office and never has said anything about the decor... Yup, another reason why he was meant for me).  I am by no means a professional when it comes to design and decor, yet it is a passion of mine. Our home's style is one that I can't really define, I would say it's a mix of neutral, cozy, eclectic, and glam. I love keeping the large furniture pieces neutral, and then adding in color with little accents.

Some of my favorite books that double as decor.
PS. You can't see my almost dying peony in this photo, but I encourage everyone to stop by Trader Joe's this week and pick up a bouquet. Fresh flowers ALWAYS brighten up the house.

 

These shelves are still in the works, like pretty much every area of our apartment.
When styling shelves, I usually start with a focal point or something in the center and then add or collect items to go around it. These shelves I kept simple, but the possibilities are endless.

Get the look here:

 

 

 

1.Linen Hayden Chair
2. Similar sequin pillow here, and here

 3. Succulents add the perfect touch of green, and are easy to care for. Here is a tutorial on how to plant your own.
 4. Rife Paper Co. | Los Angeles print

5. The ceramic stag head was purchased at Target during the holiday season, but you can purchase a similar one here
6. Similar Mirrored frames from Z Gallerie

7. Diptyque | Baies candle.

8. I bought this coral ombre throw recently at Target, West Elm also has similar colors

9. Chanel | 3 book set



South Lake Tahoe.

 

After taking many trips together over the years to South Lake Tahoe, it feels as if we have perfected this vacation. Each trip is amazing, but there was definitely something about this trip that made it that much more awesome. I am not sure if it was because we felt like we were the only ones there (Seriously! Tahoe in May is a major ghost town!). Or because we won $140! (Thank you craps table!) Whatever the reason was, it was just nice to get away. Here is a little sneak peek of our trip.

We made a pit stop en route to South Lake at a little local brewery.

 

Some of the highlights were:

Biking to the beach & testing out the swing set.

being poolside.

 This is always our number one place to end the afternoon. It helps that it is in our hotel, has a fire pit & an amazing bloody mary!

A little brunch action on our first morning there.

See you soon Lake Tahoe!